Fantasy New Oasis: Four Heavenly Kings — The B-Sides

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

SCENE:

City of Prying Eyes

TIME:

December 14th, 2021 | Post-Arc 2

LOCATION:

Breakfast Restaurant Patio, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Kiwi, Passeri

City of Prying Eyes

Of all those who could've intruded upon her privacy today, Kiwi herself was low on Passeri's expected list. There could have been a frown, a glimpse into the twinge of betrayal she might have felt, but there was not. Her smile remained unclouded and unconcerned. Despite the dim glow that possessed her eyes, after all, her senses were no different than that of any other human.

Ignorance was bliss.

"Kiwi it is, then! I've never been very good with nicknames, if you believe it." That was a lie. It wasn't never. When she'd been younger, they had come quite easily to her. But the more airs she'd stacked upon herself, the more distant they'd become. Maybe she'd bled out all of that creativity into songwriting, or maybe she'd just gotten boring.

"I've got a bit going on, as always. A recording session here, a some business talks there. Nothing interesting, though, so I won't run my mouth." She took a menu into her hands, and started to read it as she spoke. "Besides, it's not like we're just here for eggs and toast, right? There's business for us to be talking about today, too."

Important business. She wasn't sure if Kiwi was quite aware of just how much she valued the information she'd scheduled this meeting to get her hands on. Even if she wasn't showing it, there was a well of impatience in Passeri's gut.

"You mentioned that you found her?" Passeri kept her eyes trained on the menu, her bangs turning into an obscuring veil. Even if she was interested in Kiwi, she still didn't want to give too much away. Anyone who associated so closely with Akira warranted a touch of caution. At least until she knew her better.

"Do tell." A silent plea hung at the end of her words, hidden away behind a wall of silver. "Please."

Or maybe not so silent, after all.

gxxberkit​

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Deirest

SCENE:

Legacy Lost

TIME:

June 13th, 2022 | Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Zhànzhēng, East District | Silverlit Grounds

PARTICIPANTS:

Hifumi, Deirest

Legacy Lost

This was the smell of dust. It fell over her like a blanket, dry and paralytic. She could feel it scratching at the inside of her nostrils. Reaching up, into her brain. Gripping. Pulling. Something up, and to the surface. Slowly, slowly.

"Huuhhh...?" Slowly, her head turned. A boy, so meek. A voice, so small. "Do I know you...? Why are you... Here?" She sounded drunk, but the scent of alcohol was bereft from her lips. "I thought it was dead in here. It smells dead. Not dead like..."

She waved to herself. Her bloodied prints. Her neatly stitched wounds. The carefully pressed shirt, which was now ripped and torn.

"...This. Dead like..." What? Dead like what? Like what was old and dry and-

"M'not." Alright. "This is all wrong. I'm... Supposed... I'm supposed to..." She disobeyed the boy's instructions, and tread deeper into the residence. Some object, a dusty photograph, was soon in her hand. Her expression strained. She tossed it aside. Glass cracked behind her.

"What is all this?" More decorated the walls. The surfaces. Withered photographs and dinky trinkets. They meant nothing to her, but they stank of something familiar. Old, dry death. She smelled it. She saw it. Up in the depths of her brain, she felt it, and it felt vile. A wet, distressed gurgle rose in her throat, and she stomped off further into the estate, leaving her silver-haired interrogator behind.

She couldn't. She wouldn't. Her brain pounded inside her skull, and ancient memories leaked from her ears. Red static, as deep as an ocean of blood obscured them.

She wouldn't. She wasn't. She slipped on her own blood, and down she tumbled, hard and heavy onto wooden floorboards.

She-

Her stomach drained. Already empty, only acid and bile and bile split across the floor. Her breathing turned fast and pathetic as intrusive, forgotten sights flashed through her mind. Red. Black. The Shell. The Shell. Her mouth opened, both wet and dry.

She screamed.

BluEndings​

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Return To Sender

LOCATION:

Hotel Gaul, West District

DATE:

Post Arc 2 | Night

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi Ito, Passeri Park

Return To Sender

And so she got her wish—they got the hell out of there.

Leaving the penthouse was the most freeing sensation she had ever felt in her life. She was breathing real oxygen again. Polluted oxygen, but it was oxygen untainted by alcohol and chemicals nonetheless. The world was back to normal—the buildings were outside, the man was inside, twenty floors above them.

Once safe in the hotel room, she bowed her head and ripped the balaclava off of her head. The wool lingered on her face—she frowned as she scratched at her face. Parts of her hair stood up from static, which she made an attempt at flattening.

She was uncomfortable. Her body wanted to tear its own skin and leave. Her heart beat erratically, slowing down and speeding up time perpetually. All of this made Passeri that much more of an anomaly. It wasn’t like Hiachi had ever put thought into her personality, but the fact she remained unchanged after everything was… eerie. She seemed as amiable as she appeared during interviews and concerts. Like nothing happened.

Or was she really that strange? Maybe it was Hiachi who was strange. She had presumably been in this business much, much longer than her. Passeri was level-headed. Hiachi was just a mess.

Passeri went on talking, offering to provide Hiachi with some sort of food. She would be stupid to decline—she hardly had the funds to pay for sustenance once per day. The question of where made things complicated.

Well, eating room service was out of the question. She was an official hater of Hotel Gaul now. But that meant she had to choose out of the many places in New Oasis. She didn’t want to give off the impression that she wanted to leech off Passeri’s money, nor did she want to give the impression she was cheap. Because she was both, and she couldn’t afford to reveal any more of herself than she had to.

All these things were true, and yet Hiachi was so on the verge of a breakdown that she had lost the ability to care. Wherever she could go that would restore any sense of comfort to her soul would be perfect.

“...Burger Knight.” Her single-phrased demand came off childish. And yet she couldn’t muster up the energy to say much else.

Spoiler

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[thebigfella]

Karne (NPC)

CS Link

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

TIME:

July 6th, 2022 | | Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Bushineko (NPC), Passeri

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

And so the star rose. Higher and higher, carried by the prayers of the last hope of vengeance, messages beyond the grave, bottles down the River of Styx. Oh, how she flew, reaching heights never seen before, going further into the sky, as if Passeri thought she was genuinely going where she belonged, within the cosmos, a part of the constellation, a notch in Orion’s Belt.

A star. A grandiose sight to look at from a distance, a beauty to be longed from far away, untouchable by human hands. A ball of dust that served no purpose but to just exist. A glittering stain within the sky that distracted from the horrors around it. Twirling gravity that would soon concave into a black hole that distorted matter.

A tiny blip in the galaxy, as unimportant as the day it was born to the day it dies, the only ones who find interest in it are those unable to find enough worth in their own life; they search for satisfaction beyond the skies.

Is that why she thought she could find safety high above? Did that explain why a single working cell in her brain didn’t tell her how ridiculous she was being?

A housefly stuck on paper, frying in the morning sun, unable to move, in clear sight, futility buzzing its wings, expending every second of its short life. Its compound eyes each contain one dream but no future.

A frog sitting perched within a puddle, its bulging eyes filled with hunger, its tongue ready to shoot out of its mouth and devour. Its head focused forward, gazing upon the incoming present, a meal in its belly.

The winner was obvious. Even a grade-schooler could tell you the outcome.

The frog. 100% of the time.

Karne had no reason to move. He had no need to dodge. He barely acknowledged as the energy the woman drained from others like a mosquito coagulated and thickened to form a serrated edge; ire had infused into its smithing, contorted, and deformed, as if the maker had gone blind, losing all sense.

A spear of madness, and it was aimed right at him.

“Heh.”

Karne let out a slight sound of amusement, slowly bringing his gloved hands together to clasp his palms against each other.

“So you finally listened to me.”

As he had wished for, Passeri had given him everything. All her anger, killing intent, and desire for carnage into one attack. A declaration of his impending death, a gloat of her victory.

The thing that he needed to finally make her realize how powerless she was to do anything. She could not bring vengeance. She could not bring change. She could not have her cake smother herself in it, too.

She would crush her construct. Then, her spirit. And finally, everyone’s hearts.

His clasped hands raised in front of his face--

“Cement Mixer.”

--and he shifted his palms, fingers passing across each other as their positions swapped.

The ground shifted from under him, cement pulling up and tenting like a giant worm chewing through the soil. The cracks and splits spread out, forming into multiple threads that spiraled in different circles, twirling out further and further, larger and larger, a crop circle carved into stone surrounded his feet.

Each thread of distorted concrete was torn open from within, rabid fangs tore through the concrete, snouts made of stone led up to lifeless gray pockets that were meant to imitate eyes, ripples, and creases across the surface meant to mimic fur, the canine features fell apart past the head, dissolving into shapeless concrete.

“Wolfgang.”

Like the ferocious heads of a hydra, the heads shot through the air, their prehensile necks curving and twisting as they trailed behind the Cerberus heads. Their massive jaws opened wide as they approached the giant spear, and then they encircled it from every side, their maws snapping shut as their incisors dug into the construct, stopping it in a place like it had no momentum or weight.

Bushineko could only look up in shock, his tiny mouth agape as he watched what happened, his pupils shaking in a mixture of shock and unease.

Karne raised his hand, revealing his empty palm, before flicking his wrist inward and closing his fist sharply.

“Crunch.”

Cracks and fractures began to appear around the concrete beasts’ teeth, slowly spreading out from the point of impact like shattering glass. It spread and spread until the structure could no longer withstand the pressure.

It exploded, pieces flying off in every direction as they dissipated into harmless glitter, blowing away into the wind. As it disintegrated, it dripped from the gaps between the wolves' teeth like sparkling sand.

The heads were left unfed, with little food left to chew on and a tinge of moisture to stimulate their dry mouths. So they hungered, and their noses led them upward, just as Karne’s fingers raised.

He stood in the middle, between the contorting necks of the wolves as they surrounded him on concrete mass, his eyes focused towards the silhouette that blocked out the sun, the blotch in the atmosphere that had no right to act as celestial as an eclipse.

He would extend his tongue and pluck the pest out of the sky.

“Go and fetch.”

The concrete monstrosity rose up, dragging more from the ground around them. The foundations of the supermarket began to fall apart, the ceiling-turned floor underneath them shaking as the ground and walls found themselves crumbling as their construction was torn apart to feed the beast. It consumed more, growing longer, becoming gigantic, holes starting to form beneath Karne’s feet as the ceiling was torn apart to put more scraps into the shredder.

It was close. Then it was there. Passeri no longer had the distance to her advantage.

Jaws closed around the base, supporting her levitation, gnawing on it with a visceral chomp.

All it took was a straightforward command.

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

HECTOR MOSES

CS Link

SCENE:

DOUBLE TAKE

LOCATION:

Shady's Motel, Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Zane

DOUBLE TAKE

"Hey, show a little respect for the place."

Hector gestured at the wall. No doubt anyone in the neighbouring room would've heard the slam.

"Course I'm sick of losing, Zane." He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Those were uncomfortable words to say out loud. He looked to the window, restless to get out of here already.

"You should've been there, but y'ain't one of us after leaving, not unless I say so, or Lyric says so. Everyone that's died for the gang is 10 times the Phoenix you ever were, but-"

Hector stopped squirming.

"Their fight's over, and if you're here now, I want you to stay. I'm not letting us take another loss. Whatever needs to be done.

He held a bony hand out to Zane for a handshake.

 

[Roda the Red]

ERIC EVENSEN

CS Link

SCENE:

Lady Madonna

LOCATION:

June 24th, 2022 | Post Arc 3

LOCATION:

Our ✰ Dream Soup Kitchen, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Eric, Passeri

Lady Madonna

Eric perked up, statues? Did she perhaps see through his bullshit, or was this a fun coincidence? He remained silent, his expression unchanged as the performer went on a prolonged explanation, poking holes through the detective's playful deception like a needle through a wall of balloons. It was evident by now that his claims had been debunked worse than any Bigsole sighting, what he didn't expect was for the Passeri to go above and beyond to see this lie completely crumbled and burned to a crisp. It was easy to forget that to thrive in the world of entertainment, being a businesswoman was equally as important as being a performer.

For what almost could felt like an awkwardly long period of time, the Detective remained still, like a vigilant gargoyle hard at work, eyes akin to a that of an attentive cat's, continuing making contact with Park's.

"Fufufu..."

With his eyes closed, Eric slipped a most alien of a sound, a light giggle that gave away his overwhelming amusement. For someone who lived with comedy so close to his heart, laughter in of itself had become a yearly event worth celebrating, if not even rarer, it was nice, to remind himself every now and then, that he was still human. "Feels like each time I get to know the one behind the stage a little more" He spoke, unbinding his hip with the edge of the countertop, and with a couple long steps, he found himself right in front of passeri. Arms held together behind his back, Eric lowered his chest, until his face was just several inches away from hers, a smile just a handful degrees more pronounced than usual plastered across his face. "You're a very interesting woman, Passeri Park, I hope you can continue to humor my interest"

He then retreated, standing straight once again. That cryptid smile now gone, the nigh-robotic look taking over once again. He turned around, shifting his attention back to the cooking pot. His hand reached for a lone, clean fork nearby, the detective using it to fish out a single noodle from the soup. Taking it into his mouth and slurping, his eyes shifted around as he chewed. "Hm, it's nearly al dente, we should be good to go now"

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

DARIUS KENNEDY

CS Link

SCENE:

Dissonant Ichors

LOCATION:

Alleyway, East District

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1: December 21, 2020 -- Dusk

PARTICIPANTS:

Darius, Shen, Raph

DISSONANT ICHORS

Please please pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease.

It was difficult to read the man, but even without being well-acquainted with the King, the way he took care of the rampaging giant was all Darius needed to see. This is it! What a waste of a life. Great, just great. He hadn’t moved the bat past the involuntary trembling, and he knew he wouldn’t muster up the courage to swing. He was completely at Shen’s mercy.

“Ach-”

His mind accepted the futility of the situation, but his legs sprung to life as he attempted to dodge what was headed his way. Of course, he couldn’t. The bat dropped to the floor as his wrist was pinned back. His feet kicked the air, brushing some snow up but he was no longer touching the ground. He looked down, expecting to see blood gushing from his body. It was strange, he thought there would be more pain. It was more of a discomfort, but hey, he wasn’t complaining. Then he realised, no, the metal wasn’t there to kill him. Not yet, at least.

“Wait, y-you can’t-” Wisely, Darius shut himself up. He wasn’t dead, he got the mercy he wanted. Sure he was a sitting duck here, and the chaos of the night seemed to be far from over, but if he could just- Darius fidgeted and squirmed. There was a phone in his pocket. He could call Caio, no doubt the creep would be happy to answer. If only he could reach.

This was going to be a long night.

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Passeri Park

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

TIME:

Post-Arc 3 | June 10th, 2022

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Bushineko

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

This was it, then.

Passeri's eyes went wide as she watched her attack, that final culmination of her fury, crumble away into nothing. It hadn't even struck. Karne stood unharmed, and unfussed, bathing in the shadow of her failure. The glimmer of hope she'd felt had been a seed, and now it bloomed into pure, bleak dread.

Karne's concrete hounds turned to her, and she willed her construct to flee, but it barely even budged. The light in her eyes was dim, now, and her escape was propelled only by fumes. She stumbled back as dozens of rows of teeth bore down upon her, as if that would make a difference. They clamped down. She felt her construct creak, and then crack.

And then shatter into stardust.

She dropped like a stone, plummeting past the twisting necks of Karne's hounds. A view of New Oasis, the city that she so dearly loved, whizzed by her. A few pathetic sputters of her Potential twisted below her, conjuring thin, glassy panes to break her fall, but she plummeted through each and every one. She squeezed her eyes shut, and braced herself with every memory of pain that she could conjure. When she'd been shot. When she'd be throttled. When she'd been tossed across the store like a wet rag. Here, at the end, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her-

...

-Her mind went white, and the next thing Passeri knew, a throat-shredding shriek was pouring out of her mouth. A waterfall of noise, unfiltered and primal. Her vision swam, and tears welled in her eyes. Her instincts took control. She had to run.

She struggled to her feet.

She-

No.

No matter how hard her mind screamed, her legs would not respond. She batted away her tears, and then, slow and horrified, she glanced down. Her knees were snapped, her muscles torn, and shards of splintered bone poked up through her flesh.

Over it all, the sun shone. That same thing that had given her hope. That had filled her with courage. It watched all of this, blind and impartial. She'd been an idiot. This was not the stage. There was no spotlight for her to bathe in, nor a perfectly choreographed big finish. No matter what, the sun still shone, embracing everything within its warmth. Her, that cat, her hunter, and soon enough, her corpse, too.

She couldn't-

She wouldn't-

-Die here.

Her Potential struggled, one last time, to prop her up. Passeri thought that, maybe, she could drag herself away. Like some sort of sad bag of meat. A small handlebar appeared before her, but the moment she gripped down, it crumbled into dust. She fell, again, onto the concrete floor. The last of her Potential's light faded from her eyes, turning them a dull, defeated red.

"Nnngh!" She gritted her teeth, and pulled her broken body across the floor. Desperate grunts, bubbling with pain, escaped her with every inch that she gained.

She had to get away. She had to get away. She had to-

thebigfella​

 

[thebigfella]

Karne (NPC)

CS Link

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

TIME:

July 6th, 2022 | | Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Bushineko (NPC), Passeri

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

A futile crawl, a squirming slug that left a slimy trail of blood behind her.

There was that scream of pain, that fear of death. The desperation for survival. A primal demand to find a hole to climb into.

The sun had offered the perfect exposure to view all of Passeri’s plight in bright reality; every bit of her mangled body could be taken in.

Oh, that smell of iron. His eyes rolled back as the aroma came through the filters of his mask, his fingers twitching as he relished it in. Compared to the innocent civilians he killed, her blood was like comparing Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon; they were incomparable, besides the fact they shared identical origins from his own hand.

“Oh, that’s it! That’s what I’ve been waiting for!” Karne gloated, a hand reaching up to gently caress his neck as he relished in Passeri’s agony, his madness and sadism on full display.

“You…”

The only thing ruining his meal, his fine dining of the sweet flavors of anguish and agony, was the aftertaste of bitterness. His eyes rolled back down. Crazed eyes glowed and blinked, pulled back into reality, as he looked down at the nuisance he had forgotten about until now.

Bushineko stood there. His fur stood on end, and his tails thrashed wildly. An aura of red emanated off him as a shadow hid the cat-like features of his face, except his bloodthirsty eyes, pupils narrowed as tight as the blade of knives as he looked at Karne with killing intent, a paw gripped so tightly on his sword that it shook within his clutch, rattling and vibrating as fury coursed through his body.

“I won’t let you get away with this-zarunyan.”

His voice dripped with malice, raw and unfiltered desire for his destruction, the madness of a murderer, the discipline of a samurai gone. The desire to protect had been replaced with the demand to kill, to use his blade as a tool of destruction instead of creation.

Bushido has fallen, leaving only a hollow hole that could be filled with blood.

“Hoh. You got a nice look in your eyes, cat.” Karne looked at the Playmate, a lax tone clearly showing he was pleased with himself, “Too bad I’m gonna push them out of your skull.”

With a wave of his hand, the scene began to shake. Another earthquake? Another shit on the ground beneath their feet?

No, it came from above.

Giant shadows appeared from above, blocking the sun and basking him and Passeri in darkness; Bushineko’s head slowly tilted upwards, cat eyes widening. The concrete wolves were falling apart, their mass dropping as meteors brought back down by gravity, coming to crush them both.

Bushineko knew what he had to do, immediately turning on his heel as he dashed, his stubby little legs moving as fast as he could, breathing heavily. He needed to be faster, just a little farther…!

With a mighty leap, the tiny cat pounced forward, paws outstretched in front of him.


“IROIIIIIIII!”

With all the momentum and strength in his tiny body, he propelled the crawling woman forward, launching her across the ground as her half-limp body was left to skid across the concrete, slamming against one of the steel air conditioning fans with a hollow thud.

With the shaking of the ground, each boulder came down with a devastating thud; debris dust clouded the surroundings as Bushineko disappeared underneath the growing pile of rubble.

Everything had gone silent When it had finally stopped falling from the sky. Passeri was left in defeat, pain, failure, and impending demise.

Boots tapped against the ground, just like the first time he had entered the scene. He approached Passeri, the debris of cement moving away from him to give Passeri a clear view as each step closed the distance. Like before, he came at her with nothing to hide, his goal clear in his eyes.

Only this time, there was nothing she could do.

Karne stood before the idol. There was no longer anything to separate them. There were no more barriers, only a door he had forcefully opened. His hand reached through it, fingers stretching out to grasp the strands of her silky hair.

And he tugged, he pulled, raising her off from the ground and giving her the support her legs could no longer provide to bring her to eye level. Bright green pooled into lifeless red. They were so dull; more vibrancy was in her blood.

“Show’s over,” Karne stated, his free hand splaying wide into a palm, reaching forward towards her gut, where he’d carve her open and watch her insides spill onto the ground. He would make a display, an example, an art piece from her corpse.

“Heheheh…” Came a snicker.

“Hahahaha.” Came a laugh.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Came the howl.

“KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE!”

Came the cackle.

“Huh!?”

Karne was frozen in place; a burst of unknown laughter caught him off guard, stifling his own as it was overpowered by one who seemed to be somehow more amused than him, filled with a deeper malice than he could muster. His brows furrowed, his open palm clenching into a fist.

“Who the hell…?”

Zentsupa Pei

CS Link

SCENE:

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

LOCATION:

Central District, Grubtopia Grocery Store

TIME:

July 6th, 2022 || Post-Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Zentsupa Pei, Passeri Park

Why Do House Cats Sharpen Their Claws?

The dust cleared around the scene like a giant fan was being blown. The swirling sounds of blades cutting through the air accompanied the sudden wind change. Its source only remained a mystery for a moment before the beginnings of twirling blades appeared over the edge of the building.

But it wasn’t connected to a helicopter. Its pole led down to the blocky head of a tiny robot, its square-shaped teeth slightly clenched.

“Nrrghhhh!” Q-Bot groaned in exertion as he put his all in keeping the blades spinning, having to support extra weight.

As he rose higher and higher, the source of his struggle revealed itself: his gangly, spindly fingers clutched around one of his treadmill feet, skinny arms led back to a slender body, and upon it was the head of a boy who looked more demon than human. His pointed ears were placed on each side of his skull, and his sharpened teeth clamped together in a vicious smile across his whole face.

“Kekekeke! Don’t you dare sputter out on me, you piece of scrap! I’ll turn you into a fuckin' trash can!” He shouted at his ride, raising a hand to punch the tiny robot on the back of his head, causing it to jut forward, making him unsteady as they both started flailing through the air.

“W-Wait! If you do that, I’m gonnaaaa!--” Q-Bot screamed, but it was already too late. He was going down. Without a second thought, Pei let go, dropping down and landing unharmed, casually sliding his hands into his pockets, leaving Q-Bot to slam into the ground, clattering across it as he rolled along, face scraping across the floor before finally stopping.

“Owww….” The tiny robot complained as his helicopter blades closed and rolled up, folding into itself as the compartment of his head opened up, bringing them back inside.

“Kikiki!” A shrill laugh came from the beating of tiny red wings as the monstrous bat came down from above, perching himself rightfully on his master’s shoulder. Meanwhile, a much more meek-looking fairy in a nurse outfit holding a giant syringe floated down, her eyes full of worry as she looked at the scene unfolding in front of them.

Karne could only look at the ragtag group with an unamused look, his gaze narrowing at Pei, immediately recognizing him as the master.

“So, you must be the one who was in control of that thing.” Karne said, “Here to come save her after it failed?” He questioned, wiggling Passeri’s limp body around like a toy to emphasize his point.

Pei didn’t respond. Instead, he smirked, silently looking at the assassin with a grin, neither confirming nor denying.

Karne’s brow visibly twitched in annoyance, “You fucker…I wasn't told that she had a personal guard,” he mumbled, taking Pei’s silence as a yes. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. A Jack as weak as this wouldn’t be dumb enough to walk around without some protection.” He looked at Passeri’s ruined body before returning to Pei, his annoyance replaced with satisfaction as he knew what would happen next. A furious bodyguard who failed at his job would try to kill him, and just like that, he could let Passeri bleed out while he let another bit of hope disappear in front of her.

“Looks like you don’t do your job well. Maybe instead of slacking, you should have been here yourself!” He goaded Pei, a smirk behind his gas mask. He was going to crack that stoicism that Pei was trying to ham up and bring out his rage just so he could crush him.

What came from Pei was no anger or attempts to punish Karne for talking to him in such a way. Instead, he just began to chew, the sounds of bubblegum smacking in his mouth. He turned away from the scene as if it wasn’t even there, approaching the pile of cement rubble nearby; Karne only left to blink in confusion as his words had no effect.

He stuck his hand into it, shifting through the debris, until he finally found what he wanted, and with a sharp tug, a familiar blue tail popped out, the rest of Bushineko's body slipping out behind. Pei held the cat warrior upside down by the tail as he blew a bubble with his wad of gum. Bushineko hacked and coughed as he got into the outside air, spitting out a chunk of rock before shaking himself off and removing all the gray dust from his pelt.

His beady eyes blinked in surprise, shocked by being suddenly brought into the open air. He looked around before finally shifting his body upward, greeted by Pei condescendingly looking down at him.

“The fuck are you doin', fuzzynuts?” Pei asked him, his bubble of gum popping before he started to use his tongue to scoop it back into his mouth.

“Y-You!?” Bushineko blustered out, his arms waving in the air as he was left embarrassingly held from Pei’s grip upside down, “W-What are you doing here!? How did you even know I was here-zarunyan!?” He questioned.

“You dumbass!” Pei roared, bringing the cat up to face level to shout right into his cat ears, “I was the one who told you that this event was happening in the first place!”

Bushineko’s jaw hung wide for a moment, visible ellipses appearing beside his head as he thought back on it before it clicked, and his paws clasped at his cheeks in shock, “I forgot!”

“The only reason I told you about this dumb shit was because I wanted to try the cereal. I was just gonna snatch the box from you when you got back,” Pei brazenly admitted with a grin, causing Bushineko to point at him with a stubby paw accusingly, “You monster! Do you have no honor-zarunyan!?”

Pei only cackled in response, his head moving backward in laughter, “Of course I don’t! Kekekekeke!”

Stopping his laughter, he turned his head toward Karne, the man standing there silently as he watched Pei’s antics, teetering on whether it was a waste of time to bother with him or if he should just kill him right now.

Pei looked back at his menacing gaze with his own amused glimmer, letting Bushineko go, and he quickly flipped in the air to land on his feet.

“Kekekekek. Looks like you got into some trouble, though.”

“Kikiki!” Kiys chimed in as well, “Be grateful that Master Pei is so attentive!”

Bushineko sneered at Kiys, causing the devil bat’s grin to deflate to a worried half-smile, a small bead of sweat going down his face. But Buhineko left it at that and walked over to pick his sword up from the ground, “I hate to say it, but I need your help. This guy…he’s too strong-zaruynyan.”

“My help?” Pei repeated, his smirk quickly disappearing to a frown as he glared at Bushineko, “Why the hell should I involve myself in your problem?!” He shouted without a second thought.

Bushineko turned up to look at him, the shock of Pei’s blatant refusal placing a sweatdrop on his face, “What!? How can you be so heartless!?”

Pei didn’t feed his emotional outburst, instead simply motioning towards the horizon with his head, “Look.”

Bushineko let his frustration towards Pei subside to look at where he was directing, his eyes squinting until he saw it. Helicopters in the distance, approaching fast. Most likely the news.

“I didn’t come here to save you or save that bitch of an idol you’re so obsessed with!” Pei clarified, stepping back Bushineko to walk over to the pile of rubble and plop himself down onto it, his thin brows knitted together in a scowl at the scene as a whole, Bushineko, Karne, and Passeri all victims of his ire.

“I’m only here because when those fuckin’ news people get here, I’m not about to deal with me getting involved in this dumbass squabble because of you, litter-shitter!” He shouted before raising a finger to point at himself, his posture shrinking as did his volume.

“If I get implicated in anything, I do it on my own damn terms.”

For a singular beat, no one spoke anything, whether because they had nothing to say or couldn’t find the strength to speak. Pei’s declaration commanded the atmosphere for only a moment.

“Are you done?” Karne asked. Pei had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in the fight at all, nothing but a bystander. Having a spectator didn’t bother him; all the more eyes to see, the better.

“Kekekekek. Yeah. Do what you want.” Pei stated, leaning back into the rubble, crossing one leg over the other as he enjoyed his front-row seat.

“I’m sure we both can agree that someone who doesn’t have the strength to protect what matters deserves to lose it all.” Pei finally spoke to Karne directly, smirking as he closed his eyes carefreely.

“A person who can’t defend anything is useless. Anyone who lets their emotions overpower their senses is destined to fail,” he continued dismissively, waving a hand about the whole situation, but it was clear to whom his words were directed.

“Heh, I like how you think,” Karne agreed, turning back to Passeri, seeming to think Pei’s statements were about her. He had no clue who this guy was, but he spoke to him as if they were kindred spirits. He’d be sure to put on an excellent bloody show for him.

“Oi! Gas-face!”

Pei’s shout once again tore his focus away from Passeri, and all the thoughts of kindred spirits and blood brothers fell out the window, the blonde establishing his label of a ‘nuisance.’

“What!?” Karne blurted out in response, clearly at the end of the rope.

Pei had moved out of his casual relaxation, instead propped up with his arms crossed as he gazed at Karne with a toothy grin.

“Why do house cats sharpen their claws?”













“Huh?”

A dumb question, so dumb, so meaningless, Karne didn’t even bother to think about it. This guy was annoying, a pest buzzing in his ear. Before, he thought he was just a weirdo, but the thought of this being a distraction graced his mind. He asked dumb questions to distract him, rambling to give Passeri time. They were plotting something.

No more; he’d kill them both. Right now.

But, he finally dropped Passeri down to the ground, turning his attention to Pei with both hands free, fingers scrunching and moving as he prepared to take out the distraction in a decisive move. But, before he could do anything, his eyes felt themselves pulled downward, a presence like nothing before but from a similar spot on the ground.

The blue samurai, the pesky cat that had been spending this whole time just annoying him and being a tiny bump in the road. There he was again, standing in his way, blade at the ready. But something was different.

There was no more anger, resentment, a desperation for victory, or a demand for success. His bright yellow eyes looked at Karne and only at Karne, no otherworldly concepts such as retribution or revenge, but the body in front of him.

Karne looked at the cat’s eyes as they drilled back into his. The anger he thought had left him with his victory over the Jack of the Tigers returned in full force, his teeth gritting tightly; he was tired of this, tired of the things he stomped that kept coming back, new roaches climbing through the cracks.

He’d destroy it all.

The concrete around his legs rose up his body, encompassing his form like a suit of armor, bulking up more and more, building upon itself in layers. It made him taller, larger, shapeless bundles of stone smoothed out into abs, shifting pieces merged into fingers, humanoid features carved into existence one by one until it all culminated into a giant golem of concrete standing above them all, its hands raised up in the air as it prepared to slam its fists down and crush everything below.

They would all turn into mush, nothing but splatters of red mist.

“DIIIIEEEEEEEE!” A hideous, distorted voice came from the concrete monstrosity as its fists came crashing down like twin comets, forcing the atmosphere out of its way. It would destroy them, the supermarket, and the ground below.

Unless someone stopped it.







The cat lept, his fuzzy paws sending him airborne. He soared like he had wings. His body weaved through both fists, dodging the attack as his blade scraped against stone, sending off sparks, twisting his trajectory to land right on the golem’s arm. His paws skidded, gaining traction and leaving a trail of dust as he found footing, and once he did, he dashed faster than he had ever before, his body blurring, leaving afterimages behind as he blazed the trail forward.

And once he was close enough, he jumped into the air again, raising his blade above his shoulder. He didn’t need to estimate where Karne was inside the structure.

Because he already knew.

The sky was bathed in red, and the city skyline turned black. A void appeared where the golem’s torso once was, as if a painter had dragged a brush coated in black ink across it, splotches and drips surrounding the devastating cleave.

Bushineko dropped back to the ground, his tiny feet making cute squeaks against the floor as he stood, time seemingly frozen around him. His blade chimed as if it was vibrating until he slowly sheathed it, the sounds of scraping metal pronounced until it clicked in place.

“You still lack proper discipline-zarunyan.”

Like a bomb had gone off, the construction shattered from the center. It fell apart piece by piece, with more debris flying in the air as the golem lost all structure, falling into a lifeless pile of concrete chunks.

When the dust finally cleared, a humanoid shape could be made from the rubble. Karne stumbled forward a few steps, a hand clutched on his chest, blood flowing out from his new wound, another cut right across his other, leaving an x-mark on his chest. This one was much deeper; the blood poured down his legs, and his eyes' brightness had disappeared. He could barely hold himself up.

“Damnit…how the hell…?” He mumbled out, falling to his knees, his eyes now having no choice but to look at his sobering reality.

Standing before him was a tiny little cat; the thing that had defeated him was nothing but a kid’s toy.

“Lose…to that?”

With a blunt thump, he fell to the ground, a pool of blood emanating from him as he lay limp.

“Kekekekek, what a fuckin’ idiot.” Pei stated, pushing himself up back to his feet; the smirk on his face only grew wider after what transpired. “Can’t believe you let someone like that get the upper hand on you,” he chastised the tiny samurai.

Bushineko didn’t humor his statement, only gazing up at him with a look of seriousness. A wordless communication towards Pei. The Phoenix matched him for a moment, grin deflating, before looking away.

“Oi fairy!” He shouted towards Lala. The nurse had spent this whole time looking over Passeri, making sure she wouldn’t die, perked up, immediately stiffening up in fear as Pei called her.

“Y-Yes!?” He stuttered, tightening her grip on her giant syringe.

“Go ahead and poke her already. I don’t want her goin’ into shock,” Pei stated, strolling over as he put his hands into his pockets, and just as quickly as his smirking stopped, it returned back in tenfold, his jagged teeth on full display, “I wanna talk to her, not every day you get a chance to fuck with the Jack of the Tigers. Kekekekekekek.”

Lala nodded obediently, quickly shifting around her syringe and aiming right towards Passeri’s arm, jabbing it in and pushing down on the plunger with her tiny body. The green liquid quickly flooded into her, filling it with adrenaline and restoring properties. There was no helping her legs, but one by one, her minor injuries faded off her body, and the adrenaline dulled her pain for the time being.

Pei crouched beside her, looking at her face as if he were analyzing her. Was he some type of creep? Or was he just a super fan as well? The question hung in the air as he leaned in closer and closer.

And then came the pop of a cap coming off a permanent marker.

“Kekekek,” he ominously chuckled as he raised the sharpie above her face, prepared to start drawing some art.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING-ZARUNYAAANNN!?”

Before he could even put a mark on his face, Bushineko pounced on him, gnawing and clawing at his arm as he tried to get him to drop the marker, “I won’t let you besmirch Iroi-sama in such a way!”

Despite Bushineko’s attack, Pei only proceeded to laugh out loud, trying harder to push the sharpie down onto Passeri’s face, against Bushineko’s strength, “KEKEKEKEKEK! Calm down! I’m just gonna give her a couple of moles! And maybe a unibrow! KEKEKEKEK!”

Lala looked between them rapidly, unsure which one to focus on, as she visibly fretted, "B-Be careful, you two! She's still very injured!" She cautioned but was outright ignored as the two continued to struggle.

It seemed she had gone from dealing with one madman to another…

























A gloved hand twitched, the white fingers slowly clenched together, forming a fist that caught nothing but dust.

He could feel the emptiness. The lack of hair in his grip, the lack of blood.

He was in pain. He was in grief.

But he was still alive.

Why do house cats sharpen their claws? That question sat in his head.

He was thinking he got the answer.

The concrete rippled around him like water, and just like a pool of tar, he slowly began to sink in…

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

Hide & Seek

LOCATION:

East District

DATE:

June 30th, 2022 | Daytime

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Keith

Hide & Seek

Hiachi pressed her forehead against the glass. It was nice and cool, unlike the jacket that suctioned against her skin. The sensation made her want to tear her jacket to shreds.

She hadn’t been looking at anything in particular, other than the linoleum floor of the store in front of her. Hiachi knew that zoning out was not time well spent, but her brain couldn’t take much more. The situational dissonance was nice.

The sound of a single police siren alerted her attention away. She whipped her head around at the source of the sound. To her horror, she saw two police officers getting out of a patrol car. They didn’t look particularly rushed—not yet.

The police—she has forgotten about the police. Fending off potentials was a lost cause, but fending off gunmen weren’t. And the East District was most likely to take a threat to citizens seriously. If someone complained about a gunshot, or heard it themselves, they were going to check it out.

If she tried to casually walk down the street, anyone could point her out as the suspicious party. Then they’d find her gun on her. Her childish, pink gun that was incriminating nonetheless.

Panicked, she turned her head away and her gaze settled back on the interior of the store. She wouldn’t have calmed down if not for the glaring difference in front of her.

There, talking to the cashier, was someone who had absolutely not been there before. She could tell from the red hair trailing down his back—it was the guy chasing her. He was still pursuing her, questioning the cashier with a photography she wasn’t privy to seeing.

She was in danger if she left the store. She was in danger if she stayed put. There was nowhere to run.

But there was still one place to hide…

She was hardly left with any choice. All she could do was stare into the store, a dumbfounded stare glued to her face.

How unlucky.

Spoiler

Roda the Red

Jang-Mi Kang

CS Link

SCENE:

Hide & Seek

LOCATION:

East District | Rosie’s Cottage Gift Shop

DATE:

June 30th, 2022 | Daytime

PARTICIPANTS:

Jang-Mi (NPC), Hiachi, Keith

Hide & Seek

Despite everything, Jang-Mi had managed to be completely average.

She went to university. She got average grades: nothing to cry over, nothing to sneeze at. She couldn’t bring herself to join any clubs: sports were too much physical work, debate was too argumentative, she had no affinity for niche interests, and so on. She had a part-time job. She didn’t even need it—the stipends she got for attending university in a city that was 50% gangs and 50% destroyed was more than enough to pay for the rest of her semesters.

Despite everything, she had ended up here alone. The friends she made in high school had either found their own circles, not gone to college, or escaped New Oasis altogether.

Her only friend was the middle aged woman who managed the store she worked at. Even the word “friend” was stretching it. The woman was the only person who would wave at Jang-Mi if they saw each other in passing. After that, not much else would happen between them. Rosie’s Cottage Gift Shop was their only nexus of connection.

Rosie didn’t exist, but perhaps if she had, she would scoff at the store named in her honor. It was an amalgamation of things that the manager curated in her vast spare time. Flannels, ceramics, and keychains with the most Amestriyen names she had ever heard of. Jang-Mi wasn’t interesting enough to work there. She had only been hired because she was decent at crunching numbers, and her potential was an endlessly fun fact that attracted people who would spew endlessly invasive questions about her biology.

Not to say that Jang-Mi was particularly content with this state. Being a boring person was also boring to her. She tried to fix it; she had made many little lurches towards being extraordinary. Small, passion-filled bursts of emotion where she would reject everything that made her herself—no matter who she knocked over in the process. But the truth was she was boring by nature.

She was mature now. It was about time that she gave up on her dreams of excitement.

Business was slow. It was always slow, so there was nothing to complain about. Jang-Mi rested her head on her hand, which rested on the counter. She was about to doze off when she perked up at the sound of the door’s bell.

Someone had finally walked in. Though, the initiative with which he walked towards her was too fast to be casual. He easily towered over her, and his red locks of hair covered most of his face. His eyes were visible; his eyes were red like traffic lights.

She paled at the hatred in his eyes. This man was not a customer.

"Excuse me," he asked, his eyes dimming. His violence had faded and left behind a calm composure. It was like she had imagined the expression altogether. "I'm looking for this girl, have you seen her?"

A photograph was held up to her face. It was a surprisingly clear photo, for something that looked to be an action shot. A photograph of a girl, hands stuffed in her pockets, swiftly walking as the force of her speed blew her choppy haircut around.

The eyes of the girl struck her.

She had only ever known one person with those eyes, and the chances that those eyes and hair and horrible posture belonged to anyone else were close to impossible.

Hiachi Ito. That girl from elementary school, middle school, and high school. A friend, an acquaintance by circumstance. The weirdest person Jang-Mi had ever met. A skittish thing who never quite learned to be human. That girl with dead eyes. That girl who had clung to her side for years, who refused to be shaken away until that incident in freshman year. She fell, she withered, she died—so Jang-Mi had thought. But she was back here; back now.

Why here? Why now? And who the fuck was this?

She looked at the photo. She looked back at the man who was asking. Then, she looked back at the photo. Then back at the man. Then back to the photo. And she kept staring, since even one more glance would have been too suspicious.

At that moment, Jang-Mi learned something. She would rather live an average life than be slapped across the face by the succession of information that just hit her.

She backed up instinctually. His calmness wasn’t real; his calmness had become unbearable. When she did, Jang-Mi saw something that the man’s frame had been blocking.

That girl was staring right at her. Staring, blank, staring, and then took a sharp turn and slipped in through the door of the shop.

The very second the bell above the door was set to ring, Jang-Mi raised her voice a little higher than usual. “Who is that? In the photo?” She tilted her head, like she was genuinely invested in his answer.

She didn’t need to know who was in the photo, nor would she have cared if she didn’t already know.

 

[miki]

Little Red

CS Link

scene:

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

location:

The Roost, South District

date:

June 20, 2022

participants:

Pei, Helva, Charlie, Corvo, Eleanore

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

It was so unfortunate: all that it took to ignite Red’s fuse was a spark, and yet she was slung a firework. Like her namesake, crimson rushed to her head as her anger flared into a conflagration. “EXCUSE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU—!”

Red dreamed up the millions of things she could scream in rebuttal, but she cut herself short. Yelling never solved anything. She had to take the high road.

The smugness with which he operated was infuriating. He was wrong: she wasn’t a traitor. Red couldn’t care less about the Phoenixes! Her life’s purpose was completely detached from the gang. When she was asked, she did her job and she did it well. She hasn’t even killed another Phoenix.

She was about to, though.

She drew her machete and stabbed him in his gut. To an outsider, it didn’t look like she moved at all. Because Red had moved as swiftly as her body allowed. She had no more time for his tricks. She kicked him, with such force that he should fall on his back, and he couldn’t sputter his tainted blood all over the Roost.

Surely Hiyma and Eleanore would understand. Hell, they should be grateful to her. Accusations of treason weren’t to be taken lightly. Especially when they were wrong. Especially when they were from someone who was actively defacing Phoenix property.

There was only one thing to do before she left. She gently picked Q-bot up by his tiny body, out of the dirt he had been squashed into. She set him down gently, so that he could stand on his own feet.

There. Everything was back in its place.

She spun on her heels and tucked her machete back in its place. She exhaled, a pleasant smile forming on her face as she mentally put the ordeal behind her. It was perfect. Her job had gone successfully, this fool was going to die, and she still had some spare time to stop by Wcdonalds. It was time to leave.

 

[mechanicalmania]

LENRAS MOTESFONT

[CS Link]

SCENE:

What's Left Of Love When It's Down To Atoms?

LOCATION:

The Maw’s Warehouse, East District

DATE:

July 10th, 2022 [Post-Arc 3]

PARTICIPANTS:

Lenras, Passeri [ The One Eyed Bandit ]

WHAT’S LEFT OF LOVE WHEN IT’S DOWN TO ATOMS?

”Not to my tastes, but I can see the appeal.”

The behemoth of a Tiger was walking around in a large and spacious building. That statement would be true, actually, if a labyrinth of shipping containers hadn’t been stacked in a clean, orderly fashion. Since the statement wasn’t true, Lenras was walking through a hallway constructed out of the freight boxes, hands clasped behind his back and head tilted slightly upwards, examining the ceiling with an apparent interest as he listened to the Wallet walking by his side.

"A shame. I would have thought to understand you as a great connoisseur of girl bands."

The giant came to a stop to look down, hearing the boots of his companion come to a stop within the second he did before Lenras had much chance to turn his neck. Jin had been looking down at his phone screen, scrolling over a webpage stating all sorts of positive things about Our☆Dream and their shining star of a supernova, but now was looking up at the self proclaimed Doctor with an incredulous expression. Lenras sighed, a deep guttural noise with a bit of a blurble, before leaning down slightly to get a closer look at the page.

"More dribble? You would think that at least one crackpot would have made some theory about her, but it's all sunshine and rainbows."

”The first and only bout of public drama seem to stem from her previous group endeavors, sir.”

"A shame we don't care about that. I highly doubt that group matters. I would think... Ah, yes. Good work. Any disturbances?"

Lenras looked up, giving a polite nod to two security guards of his employ doing a separate patrol of the warehouse grounds between the canisters. One shook their head, standing a bit too straight, before they passed around and continued their march. Wallet turned his phone off, sliding it into his pocket as he spoke.

”There may be more to it than that.”

"Oh? I see. Yes, yes, we can move downstairs. Maybe in a moment or so, I am not in any sort of rush."

Jin nodded as Lenras passed his hand over the corrugated faux walling, hooked talons scratching against the metal. Lenras pulled his hand back, glancing at the light scratches with small satisfaction.


"Damn."

In luxury, Lenras was leaning on the inside of a large pool, arms stretched out as one would lounge in a giant chair. He didn’t seem much enthralled by the experience, glowering at cement walls and ceiling and the machinery that lined the both of them. Wallet was sitting on aforementioned giant chair, but without any sort of lounging threatening to breach his pose.

"It makes sense. Intelligent people would change their names joining the Tigers if they had anything to escape from or hide. Still, it would've been nice. See if there'd been some dark commotion that could've given us a clue."

Wallet sat in silence, letting the suited scientist monologue as he tried to come to a solution.

"Should've made a query before she became a Jack, then. Would've been much easier to find that information without all the protections that offers. Unfortunate!"

Lenras shrugged, adding some levity to his own complaints as if he just realized how silly it would be to do a full check on every single veteran. He pushed off from the side of his personal pool, gliding forwards to the other side as he thinks.

"Certainly not enough to give up. It's interesting! She's an interesting case with some sort of interesting catch, and I'm interested. I suppose..."

He came to a stop, feet touching the floor of his small lake as he turned to Jin, bringing his hands out of the water to clap once. The clap was loud in and of itself, and was only amplified by the water and the enclosed nature of the basement. For his credit, Wallet appeared unaffected, merely leaning forwards on the chair slightly now that he was obviously being informed of whatever course of action the Maw had decided on.

"I should just go for it. Invite her here! No point to keep bashing our heads against brick walls when we can just ask her, eh? I know enough now to hopefully hold some decent conversation."

Having reached the wall closest to the most dry land of the basement, Lenras pulled himself out with considerable effort and took the oversized towel Wallet had somehow procured and proffered to the orca as he kept talking.

"Besides, things have gone rather... poorly for her lately. Perhaps the offer of a boost could help lighten her spirits, make her more amiable to my cause in light of recent events."

There was a chuckle there. It was hard to not know that, in reality, word had gotten around quick and the news was fantastic at reporting about the idol. Perhaps not too injured physically by now, but certainly still shaken. Lenras wasn’t above taking advantage of that. It’d be foolish of him not to.

"How should I send the message, then... most of her public contacts are deluged in fan mail, I'm sure. But I wouldn't want to mislead her into believing this is important business, either. Hardly would want to contact her as the Jack when all I want is a casual meeting."

Having mostly dried off his hands to the point he felt confident interfacing with electronics, Lenras gripped the chair that Wallet had vacated and dragged it over to a desk hosting a large keyed keyboard that he was capable of using without just crushing it outright.

"A simple polite message. A physical letter, of course. Sent through official channels. We'd have to schedule a date that wouldn't cause any conflicts, she's quite busy. Do you think we can scrounge up an address that she's likely to receive without it being buried?"

There was a nod from Wallet. Of course. It’d be the easiest thing he did today, on the same level as brushing his teeth or combing his hair, to find a direct way to send a message to the Tiger’s Jack in a timely matter. Lenras grinned, rows of sharp teeth, glinting from the flashing electronics and dim blue lighting as he cracked his knuckles, rotating the chair and sitting down with a thud to begin his writing endeavor…




Hello, Passeri,

I hope this letter reaches you faring well in all of your endeavors. I’m writing to you because due to obligations and duties in the course of my work , I have recently hit a slight wall and believe I need some time to take a break. However, I am not currently in a position nor mood for one of my more exciting parties, and would prefer a much smaller occasion.

Given my fervent belief that everyone should take some time off from time to time, especially in these stressful times, I am extending an offer for to join me in a relaxing meal and conversation at one of my warehouses. Any and all costs incurred if you decide to take this offer will be on me.

Assuming interest, please contact the below personal cell. This is an offer that requires some timeliness in the uptake, I don’t often have these opportunities, but I have it in good faith that this letter will reach you in a prompt manner. Things often work out when it comes to leisure, I find!​

sincerely, Lenras Motesfont, PHD
X-XXX-XXX-XXXX​

​

​

​

Printed out and placed in a beautifully embellished letter, a cutesy tiger stamp in the upper corner for that wonderful ironic touch Lenras thought was just so fun. How it would be received, it wouldn’t matter to Lenras. Perhaps tied to a brick or stone brutely tossed through the window? No, at least a bit more clean than that. But his letter didn’t lie, at least in that regard. He had full faith that somehow it would reach Miss Passeri Park just when it needed to. Wallet was on the job of making sure it found the mark, and that was all the assurance he needed.

How it arrived, what state she was in at the time, all of that detailing… that was now Passeri’s problem. The ball was in her court, and all Lenras could do was hope a polite message was enough for her to bounce it back.

 

[Roda the Red]

CHARLIE HUGHES

CS Link

SCENE:

[Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth]

TIME:

Nighttime, Post Arc 3, June 20th 2020

LOCATION:

South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva, Pei, Red, Corvo, Eleanor

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

Eh?
Something was off, the strange glimmer of something that aught not to be, a flash, a movement of otherwordly alacrity. The rookie was barely able to notice the swift motion, a drawn blade plunged into Pei by the girl that looked taken straight out of a twisted interpretation of a children's fairy tale. The subsequent move, however, was crystal clear, a kick that pushed the man on the ground. The rookie's weak, peace-encouraging smile gradually turned upside down, pupils contracted as his vision focused.

"PEI!!!"

Not wasting a single second, the rookie skipped over to the fallen companion, throwing his arms around his shoulders. Charlie looked horrified at the visible wound, confusion and light panic overcoming his senses. He reached for his jacket's pocket, pulling out the recently rejected hankerchief, placing it against the wound with gentle pressure. "Hang in there...somebody call a healer!"

A Wrathful glance was then projected at the girl in red. "Stop right there!" Too afraid to leave Pei alone in his condition, the rookie stayed in place. "How could you...HOW CAN YOU BE SO HEARTLESS!" He grit his teeth, frustrated at the fact his impulses to restrain the woman had to be tossed aside for Pei's sake. "It's okay, Pei, we'll get help soon, just hang in there, please!"

He extended a single arm, standing as a barrier between the assailant and the victim. He didn't know if she was going to attack again, but he was determined to stop her if such was the case. He didn't know her, blissfully unaware of the small self-righteous serial killer, in his eyes, she had all the signs of being the traitor, and could only hope that somebody else could assist him in stopping her while he was occupied tending to his acquaintance.

Spoiler: Notes and Notifs:

Tempering: Half-Activation



thebigfella Elenion Aura Peckinou @AriAriAbabwa miki mechanicalmania

 

[BluEndings]

ZANE RIDDLE

CS Link

SCENE:

[PECKING ORDER]

TIME:

Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

South District | DMV

PARTICIPANTS:

Zane, YY

PECKING ORDER

There was laughing, and then there was bothering everyone in the vicinity—he was the latter.

“So serious.” He whined, miming away a tear. “I was think’n a reunion with a presumed dead chum would be more moving. Y’know some tears or some real shitty poetry. I’d have brought some nonsense myself, but seeing this striking face is a gift of its own, no?”

He laid out his legs, and rolled his head back so his eyes met the ceiling.

“You didn’t think o’ Draco boy did me in, did you?” He cooed. “Sure the fellow pieced me up like a ham and cheese, but that was more of a medium well disco than a well done one.”

A finger flicked wax from his ear.

“I had no idea you and him bled for each other like that.” He sighed. “Trust me. Save for the whole bruises everywhere thing, it was a really touching experience."

"Shows how birds oughta be, don'tcha think?”

NAVIGATE

 

[BluEndings]

ZANE RIDDLE

CS Link

SCENE:

[DOUBLE TAKE]

TIME:

Post-Arc 3

LOCATION:

Shady's Motel | Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Hector, Zane

DOUBLE TAKE

Zane gave the slammed spot a benign rub.

There wasn’t much more to add to what had been said, and there would be little benefit. The words he had wanted to hear had been spouted, and it left him with nothing more to do than accept the haggard palm.

And he did so without tip-toeing—his grip was like any other, firm but not oppressive.

“I’ll honor the fallen plenty times over.” He loured. “We celebrate thrice over in their places, and we knock a rival down for each. Blood in struggle and blood in the goblet. We’ll pour our respects.”

“But,” his clutch had yet to disperse, “you need to do something about Draken.”

His stormy eyes had sunk back behind his shades leaving the chilly twinge of his voice to pierce the air.

“If you wanna delegate some manpower to look for the old warbler, that’s all well and good. But you can’t skimp on the rubbish going on right now. The matter of succession needs settling, and I’ll tell you what—I bet it's you and that former jack where everyone’s looking.”

“You gotta put everyone’s nerves to rest, especially after this.”

“Either snub the blighter yourself, or show off your supremacy some other way.” His teeth twinkled. “I bet putting down a troublesome oaf such as myself would go a long way to silencing the rowdy ones.”

NAVIGATE

 

[mechanicalmania]

ELEANORE

[CS Link]

SCENE:

{=Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth=}

LOCATION:

South District, The Roost

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, Helva, Pei, Red, Corvo, Eleanore

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

Red? No. It couldn’t be Red. That was Eleanore’s first thought, as Pei dramatically pointed. Red was competent, skilled, did her tasks with the correct amount of skill. She wasn’t devoted to the Phoenixes, not the way Eleanore was, but… well, she just didn’t want to think it. Could be a no name, a slacker. Someone else’s Pei, that would’ve been fine. Eleanore assumes that if that was her first thought, it would give the perfect cover for a traitor. A professional who did their job to perfection. No one smart would suspect Eleanore to be a traitor, after all…

Still, she was willing to hear the evidence. Pei was flashy, but he knew what he was doing. Surely. Even as the others voiced doubt in who Pei had accused, played peacemaker in an attempt to get all the facts on the table. That wouldn’t, work, of course, because Pei-

SCcchkkk​

Eleanore couldn’t see the slash. It wasn’t a matter of skill, it was a matter of focus. For some reason, despite feeling like she was separate from it all, she had been wrapped up in the stageplay of Pei as much as anyone else here. Because this had all been a play, he had been having fun, and that fun was infectious, even in something this dire. Treason and traitors seemed light topics, here. But it wasn’t a play. And Eleanore hadn’t been focusing, not on Red’s hands, not on Pei’s gut. All she heard was the noise the machete made, cutting through the air first and then into her sponsoree.

She was focusing now. They all were.

And Red was not correct in thinking Eleanore would understand.

There were two Eleanores as Charlie started rushing towards Pei, and four by the time Eleanores had fully pushed herselves off the wall. It would be stupid to start off a fight in close range. Even if Eleanore hadn’t just seen the damage Red can do in a split second, word of the speedy little girl had reached her ears. Pei’s death, because she had to face the facts, he was not getting back up after what Pei had received, was just a strong reminder of it. But she didn’t need to get into close ranges. Not for what she was doing now.

There was a barrage of grapeshot, hitting the ground around Red’s feet. Her feet as well, maybe her legs, if she wasn’t quick enough. Three shotguns went off in unison, while the fourth Eleanore quickly began switching her ammunition to slugs with a practiced precision. Each was deadly silent, and each had a glint in their eyes as they aimed for their next blasts. She wasn’t sure why she was firing a warning shot, or nothing at least lethal, against an opponent who she needed the first strike on. It was muscles acting for her, the urge that she would need to incapacitate her now, need to know why Red was the traitor and did what she had done after such a personal attack on Eleanore, or she wouldn’t be able to sleep right for years.

Maybe not for the reasons she thought, though.

 

[BluEndings]

"NAOMI BLECHER" (MIMI)

CS Link

SCENE:

[The Woodsman and The Duckling]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 1

LOCATION:

Backstreets, North District

PARTICIPANTS:

Sang-Cheol, Mimi

THE WOODSMAN AND THE DUCKLING

Well at the very least the creep wasn’t lying. If the place had been even a couple minutes farther, Mimi would have turned around right then and there. She was curious, but not curious enough to meander far enough to lose herself even further. These streets were still Serpent territory… or so she thought. Every street looked just about as crumby as the last. It was like trying to distinguish dirt from dirt.

Mimi wasn’t one to shed much manners, especially for strangers. She shambled into the lab, and the golem did the same. It wasn’t that much taller than a person, but it definitely trailed in a considerable amount of mud and water. And because of that, it had to keep a reasonable distance away from its master lest her irritation lend to its end.

The prospect of clothes was a welcome one, but one second thought became a point of irritation. There was no way the clothes at the ‘clinic’ weren’t going to be crude and tacky. Her style may have been slandered by the torrents from above, but a soaked ten was still better than a pristine one.

“You got to be kidding me.” Mimi groaned, motioning for the golem to assist the newly collapsed.

Rather than try to earn the attention of the workers, the short woman carved her own passage to the earlier described location. If this clinic was worth anything, then it had to have some supplies for this kind of thing. Even better, there would be some staff there she could harass so she wouldn’t have to do anything herself—or worse, try and get her golem

“Excuse me.” She scowled. “I’ve got either a really fresh corpse or a stale living one.”

She entered without bothering for a reply.

NAVIGATE

 

[BluEndings]

CHARMY DEVLIN

CS Link

SCENE:

[Thawtless Dial]

TIME:

Pre-Arc 3, December 24th, 2021

LOCATION:

Devlin Residence, West District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charmy Devlin, Kazue Kaneko

THAWTLESS DIAL

Charmy had been tossing and turning like a little girl who had just received her first phone.

It was a restlessness fueled entirely by quickly shattered escapism.

“What?” Her voice convulsed. “I… I don’t understand.”

“It’s… Christmas.”

The jumbled tone was beginning to stabilize, and so too was the woman’s wild position. Her body almost sunk deeper before twisting its escape, and aligning the best it could against whatever might support her shaky weight. This did nothing for her seeping mind, however. That was too swamped with alcohol and the variety of other indulgences her weakness allowed.

“I don’t have anyone else”—she wiped bile from her mouth—”to call.”

She cleared her throat.

“I’m just bowth-bothering you aren’t I?” She laughed, fanning her eyes. “This uh… came out of the cow, didn’t it? Awkward! …And spacious huh? No. No, no—sp-specious.”

“Gosh golly, I’m just uh… just like the lot I find vexing. I just…” She gazed over to the one item in the room not in disarray. “I did… I did want to check in on you. I did. I always did… I do.”

“B-But no. That’s not… I…”

Blood. Wine. Blood. Wine. Blood. Wine.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing any more.”

NAVIGATE

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Dress Code for Violence

TIME:

Evening, Post-Arc 2, April 2nd 2022

LOCATION:

Phoenix HQ, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

Charlie, YY

Dress Code for Violence

If one looked close enough, they’d be able to see pride show on Yong-Yut’s face. An aura of satisfaction radiated off of her as she watched the boy excitedly look over the suit. No one does it like Yong-Yut can— a fact she was rather fond of. Charlie’s expression only proved it.

Her arms crossed as he put it on, letting the both of them see the garment in action. How nice it looked on him, and all thanks to her. Why, it was starting to get to her head. Maybe Vulken was right, and she should be giving the public access to her tailoring. For a price, as he’d always insist, of course. Fashion was her pride and joy, it wasn’t fair keeping it away from the entirety of New Oasis. Besides, she knew some people that needed a wardrobe upgrade.

Her newly-inflated ego only shattered as Charlie went silent. She avoided his eye contact again, brushing through her hair. Did he notice something wrong? Was it not as nice as they both thou—

His sudden shout followed by a near-tackle shocked Yong-Yut. Her skin stung as though it was betrayed by the sun. With a grimace, she shoved him.

Her arms cuddled her body. Her look turned displeased. “You’re welcome, Charlie.” Once she felt she had recovered, her arms fell.

“Please don’t touch me again.” Her hand rested on his head as a soft pat.

Roda the Red

 

[gxxberkit]

YONG-YUT SOMSRI

CS Link

SCENE:

Pecking Order

TIME:

Post Arc-3

LOCATION:

DMV, South District

PARTICIPANTS:

YY, Zane

Pecking Order

The paperwork didn’t take much longer to complete with the change in pace. But, it was rude to just get up in the middle of a conversation, even one she didn’t ask for. Her gaze lifted up to glare at the man that sat beside her.

“This is a DMV.” She didn’t even know he was in the South, nonetheless visiting her. “And you’re not my chum.”

Her cold stare turned to confusion, and then slowly came to realization. “I didn’t even know about that.” And she knew exactly why she didn’t know— Yong-Yut would’ve tried to convince Vulken otherwise, and he didn’t want her to.

Really, she should’ve figured as soon as he found out who did it.

She looked back down at her lap. Her fingers tip-tapped lightly on the clipboard. “Did you want something?” she grumbled, “or did you just want to prove you could be alive with no soul? Because I’m sort of in the middle of something.”

BluEndings

 

[gxxberkit]

Kiwi Dior Bonheur

CS Link

SCENE:

City of Prying Eyes

LOCATION:

Breakfast Restaurant Patio, West District

TIME:

December 14th, 2021 || Pre-Arc 2

PARTICIPANTS:

Passeri, Kiwi

City of Prying Eyes

Kiwi nodded as the celebrity gave a brief overview of her day. Seemed busy, but Kiwi wasn’t surprised. She’d already had a glimpse into the backstage, and she knew it wasn’t allat. Especially when backstage led to the Tiger den.

Her smile began to widen. The way the plea hung off the woman’s sentence was almost humorous, but Kiwi evaded a laugh. Right, of course. Business. The stuff they were here for in the first place.

“Since ya asked so nicely,” she teased. Out came her phone and subsequently the collected info on the screen. At the same time, a folded up piece of paper was discreetly passed across the table. This was the file— conveniently not stored in a manilla folder, for discretion.

“You’ll find’er right here in the West. Looks like she tried her own hand at the ol’ Iroi Formula, but it didn’t turn out as well as it did for you.” Her eyes looked to Passeri. She had a slight frown. “Now she’s payin’ off debt. Classic ‘rookie’ style.”

Tapping the paper, she shrugged. Debt truly had its way of finding anybody. “It’s kinda sad, if ya ask me.”

The One Eyed Bandit

 

[Peckinou]

Hiyma

CS Link

SCENE:

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

LOCATION:

South District: The Roost

PARTICIPANTS:

Red thebigfella , Charlie Roda the Red , Corvo @AriAriAbabwa , Pei thebigfella , Elenion Aura

Clipped Wings Cannot Rebirth

Hiyma wasn't happy with the accusations against Red at all she knew Red and knew that she had a bit of an anger problem, which is why she should have expected that she would react by stabbing Pei in the guts. Still, she was a bit stunned by what had just happened, she figured Pei knew Red and was making a bad joke against her, why else would the idiot go right in front of the speeder girl's face and make that accusation. She was sadly mistaken when it came to their friendship, as it appeared that he was not close enough to Red to warrant her not stabbing him in the chest for that. This was a bit worrying, as she knew Red wasn't a traitor, just a girl with severe anger issues and Pei was a moron who decided to poke a bear all while putting his head in the bear's mouth. She couldn't even blame Red fully it was more so her fault than anything else, she should have created a shadow wall between the two as soon as Pei did something that was so fatally stupid, and not only that, this event happened right in front of his sponsor Elenore. Though when Red sped off, Hiyma noted how she didn't attack anyone yet, which only reinforced her reasoning that she wasn't a traitor, just pissed off. Elenore and Charlie though weren't having any of that as they quickly jumped into action, Charlie going on to defend Pei and Elenore going on the attack. Hiyma meanwhile had just recovered from her stunned trace of thought and created a wall of shadows in front of the exit to prevent any escape. Then reporting the situation to Helva through their telepathic link So uhm, the moron Pei just accused Red of being a traitor and she got pissed off and stabbed him in the chest. So yeah, that happened and now we got ourselves an angry Elenore and a confused Charlie. Hiyma didn't hear anything for a moment but soon received a telepathic link of a string of curses followed by her claiming that she would be there as soon as possible and that she should lock down the area and get Red situated in the meantime.

Hiyma had already blocked all the exits with her shadows, but now she probably should deal with the issue at hand now, Elenore was trying to take down Red either out of anger or the assumption that Peis theory about Red being a traitor was correct. Either way, she had to deescalate the situation, so instead of joining Hiyma created a shadow wall between Red and Elenores shots before taking a deep breath in and out Hiyma shouting out "RED!" in an attempt to get her attention before going on to try and talk with her. "Ok Red I understand why you did that but you need to give the blade to me now." her voice was calm and a bit sympathetic but, Hiyma was a bit worried that she may have made another miscalculation. She didn't want to see Red harmed but she knew that she would more than likely be punished for this thing, and if Red killed her, then that would confirm her as a traitor and Helva would go for her herself. Still despite all that Hiyma made ready a few more shadow walls, in case the others decided to continue or begin attacking Red.

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

What The Dirt Remembers

LOCATION:

East, Heiwana Sasayaki Summer Camp (Abandoned)

DATE:

May 16, 2022 | 9:57 PM

PARTICIPANTS:

Hiachi, Rem

WHAT THE DIRT REMEMBERS

It was a person. The worst case scenario.

Her tensity only faded when the young woman waved with a smile. She wasn’t hostile, not yet. She lowered the gun and swiftly put it back in the buckle of her pants. No point in provoking her if she didn’t intend to fight.

Hiachi’s gaze shifted when the woman questioned her. What was she doing? She could ask her the same thing. Dry leaves stuck to her locks—had she been napping in the bushes?

She had to get out of there. Even ignoring the fact that Hiachi didn’t want to talk, she was trespassing. This woman probably was trespassing too, but ignoring legality, maybe the abandoned camp had been made into her unofficial residence.

It was getting dark, too. The chemical sunset was fading into the natural order; deep, dark blue. Soon, it would be significantly more dangerous getting home.

She acknowledged the young woman with a nod, at least. Before tearing her eyes away and trying to scan the area for an easy excuse and exit.

When Hiachi felt the land beneath her foot shift from dry dirt to slippery mud, she should have remembered where she just came from. But how could she? Her surroundings were not nearly as vital as plotting how to get out of there? She took another two steps back.

Splash!

She swallowed her words just as she would swallow the water she just fell in. The cold engulfed her body within a matter of seconds. Hiachi, now remembering she had been standing in front of a lake, swarmed to get vertical again. She had never been a particularly good swimmer, though. Her attempts were met with the murky water forcing her body back down.

This must have looked really funny to that woman, huh? Hopefully she had the kindness in her heart to help out a stranger.

Spoiler

gxxberkit

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

All Eyes On Me

LOCATION:

Craig Stevens' Estate

TIME:

Post Arc 3

PARTICIPANTS:

Kiwi, Passeri, Hiachi, NPCS

All Eyes on Me

Hiachi actually had a lot of questions. She just forgot what they were at the time. Instead, she spent her focus on watching Passeri glide up that monster of a driveway in her car. It was a long and winding road, up a hill that couldn’t be relaxing to drive up. A flaw of design, Hiachi would argue, though the rich never seemed to care about deeply inconvenient architectural design. That’s why they were rich—that’s why they were so annoying. The first major hurdle would be hiking up that hill.

With her hands pushing down on her knees, she forced her legs to cooperate all the way to the gate. The tall fence was made up of thin metal bars, swirled into ornate patterns. There were significant gaps between the bars; Hiachi could squeeze past them easily if she tried. Who the hell made THIS design flaw? The architect who built this must have really hated Craig Stevens, or they had designed it in one night on nine energy drinks and a dream.

Like she promised, Hiachi seamlessly slipped through the bars of the fence and fell into the interior bushes. Not a graceful fall, but she did make it inside the perimeter.

She pressed her back against the wall and crouched down. The wall she has made it to only made up one of eight possible walls to analyze. On the walls were windows, one of which she would enter through.

Her goal was to make it to the files. And the files could be anywhere. They could be in the study, in the master bedroom, or in a creepy basement. While that was hardly encouraging, it did mean she could start anywhere. Though, starting anywhere close to Passeri would be a major fallacy.

Hiachi leaned forward slightly to stare into the windows available to her. The one to the furthest right was one next to some sort of spiraling staircase. The middle window opened to a hallway with ornate beige wallpaper. The one to the right also opened to a hallway, but was at the end of it and opened to a room in the center of the house. The window that was on the wall perpendicular to the previous one led into a kitchen with an obnoxiously geometric chandelier. The final window led into a sunroom with large panes of glass on the outward facing wall. Of course, there were more windows around the house; she wasn’t forced to go in through these. But it would be a good start.

“…Kiwi? Which window should I go in?”

Spoiler

The One Eyed Bandit gxxberkit

 

[miki]

Hiachi Ito

CS Link

SCENE:

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

LOCATION:

The Open Seas (Day 0)

DATE:

Post Arc 3, Timeskip 1 | July 1st, 2022 | Day 0 [The Open Seas]

PARTICIPANTS:

Zack

St. Steinburg's Maiden Voyage

Maybe it was the fact that Hiachi had put so much thought into the jubilant character that forced him by her side. Her thoughts had hooked him, like a fish, and drew him in to hopelessly flop around the deck.

And he certainly was hopeless—in fact, the first words he whispered to her were, “I have no idea how to play this.” He said it like it was an exciting secret, when it really just meant he was about to lose a lot of money.

She leaned away from him. Not that she really thought he’d try and look at her cards—it was more instinct than anything. Hiachi held no ill will towards him, but her blatant lean and silence couldn’t have gotten across well. Not that she cared about semantics like that, or felt inclined to perform amicably while outside of work mode. But she felt kind of bad. He wasn’t pretentious, just gullible. There were plenty of other people who absolutely deserved to get scammed.

“You shouldn’t play if you don’t know how.” That wasn’t very comforting, but Hiachi had never claimed to be a smooth talker.

She had no time to shift her focus—it was time to place her bets. The guy on the far right was bluffing hard. Acting as if he has high cards, though he didn’t have anyone above a seven. He wore a smug look in his eyes, overconfident in himself. Perhaps because he thought he could trick everyone.

Everyone else was folding. Clearly inexperienced people who thought they were making good choices. First-timers.

Hiachi moved a stack of poker chips forward. No need to act overly confident too soon. Just enough to get her ahead in the game.

Well, with her bet done, it was Zack’s move. Hiachi stared blankly in his direction, unimpressed.

Spoiler

QuirkyAngel tityanya